Physicochemical properties of nanoparticles titania from alcohol burner calcination

Abstract

The physicochemical properties of synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles from integrating sol-gel with flame-based techniques were studied. The synthesized nanoparticles properties were compared after using methanol, ethanol, and propanol fuel sources. The synthesized TiO₂ were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal analysis (thermogravimetric analysis, TGA, and differential scanning calorimetry, DSC), and surface area Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanoparticles was investigated by measuring the degradation of methylene blue. It was found that methanol and ethanol burners can be used as an alternative furnace that can yield TiO₂ nanoparticles with physicochemical properties comparable to that of commercial TiO₂ nanoparticles, while a propanol burner cannot be used as an alternative fuel.

KEY WORDS: Titania, Photocatalyst, Crystallinity, Alcohol burner, Calcination, Nanoparticles

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2011, 25(2), 263-272.